Mayweather Returns and Picks Marquez As Opponent

There was the undefeated Floyd Mayweather, the six-time world champion in five different weight classes at a podium on the 83rd floor of the Empire State Building in New York City Tuesday afternoon. His sixteen month retirement from the ring is over for now and it is back to business.Except this was a more subtle and different Mayweather from when we last saw him. After knocking out Ricky Hatton in the 10th round in December of 2007 Mayweather stunned the boxing world and announced his retirement last June. He would surface as a dancing star, do some commercials and went in another ring, opposing “Big Show” at the WWE annual WrestleMania event last April.But that was then and this is now. Boxing has always needed a superstar with charisma and Mayweather knows that. “Fans have been missing me from the sport,” said Mayweather in a more quiet approach. “Floyd Mayweather and boxing go together,”The return of Mayweather and him opposing Marquez is billed as a fight of epic proportions. Because Mayweather, along with the recently retired Oscar De La Hoya, a co-promoter of the fight, have been two of the highest paid fighters in the industry the past six years.That said, it is now official as Mayweather (39-0, 25KO’s) returns and opposes another great champion, Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KO’s) the five-time world champion in three weight classes from Mexico City, Mexico. The 12-round fight will be televised on HBO pay-per-view from the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday July 18th.They will fight at welterweight, a division that Mayweather is known for handling the best, including wins over Hatton and De La Hoya. And there is a question as to who will have the advantage. Mayweather may be an inch or so taller but Marquez has a bigger fist.All of that won’t matter come fight time. Both fighters have already secured Hall of Fame status in the sport. They are also marketable. Mayweather, 32-years of age has set boxing pay-per-view records and after beating Hatton was officially known as the best fighter pound-for-pound.The 25-year old Marquez won 29 of his first 30 pro fights. He is in the category as one of those great Mexican fighters with Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales. His second defense of the WBA featherweight title, in 2004 against Manny Pacquiao, may have been his most memorable as he survived three first-round knockdowns and got a draw, a fight that could have gone his way.But as Marquez says, “This fight is very important for my country and my life.” The fact he will be fighting for the first time, in all probability as a welterweight, has him preparing to build more muscle mass and gaining for more respect. A probable future opponent could be WBO welterweight champion Miguel Cotto or Pacquiao again in the same weight class.“It’s a division I am not accustomed to fighting,” said Marquez. If he stays at welterweight all depends on the outcome against Mayweather. To that, he said, “I always prepare myself mentally and physically”Mayweather has been training for the past few months in a gym out in Las Vegas. So his return to the ring was inevitable and it was just a matter of time as to when. The opponent was also an easy pick. He wanted Marquez and the Mexican champion was honored to get the call.“Marquez is a warrior and he represents his country well,” said Mayweather who many say will start to make noise again if indeed he prevails in this return fight. He picked me because I deserved it,” said Marquez about being the return opponent for Mayweather.And Marquez says about Mayweather, “He’s a great fighter, a great champion. Once in a while his ego comes out.” Except that ego was not evident Tuesday afternoon, even when the two fighters posed for photos atop the observation deck of the Empire State Building and with Mayweather also the co-promoter with Mayweather Promotions."I’m expecting the best from Floyd Mayweather,” added Marquez. “Even in my mind he never retired.” The boxing public will agree because over the past year Mayweather stayed in the spotlight and it was a matter of time for the return date to happen.This was the second stop of a three city tour to announce the fight. Los Angeles on Monday, New York City and then off to London Wednesday They did a five-city tour last year when Pacquiao and De La Hoya were set to clash last December.That fight had the boxing world in a buzz as Mayweather was out of the picture. Pacquiao was declared the best when he put De La Hoya into retirement. Now Mayweather is back and the question is, can he get by Marquez for a possible encounter with Pacquiao?Marquez certainly will answer some of those questions soon for himself, the boxing public and all of his fans in Mexico.e-mail Rich Mancuso at Ring786@aol.com

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